This week we complete our general coverage of the world war one conflict with the third and final part of the account of a cycling tour along the Western Front by local history enthusiast Willie Reid and four friends. Willie continues:

Besides the physical dangers there were the mental challenges. Constant bombardment often drove men to the edge. Against that though military offences such as cowardice, desertion, disobedience, striking a senior officer or even sleeping at your post could all carry a death sentence. Between August 1914 and October 1918 the British army held in excess of 230,000 courts martial, mostly for minor offences, but 3080 death sentences were meted out.

However, only 306 were actually carried out. Many of these men who had fought so bravely would now be understood to be suffering from shell shock but were nevertheless executed as an example to others to stiffen their resolve.

It is difficult for us today to imagine the carnage wreaked as the signal was given to leave the trenches and attack the enemy. The excruciating noise and flashes of the artillery shells bursting around you, the rattle-tattle of the machine guns as a horizontal hail of metal flew across the battlefield, the agonising screams of wounded and dying comrades dropping by your side as others bravely continued to reach out towards the goal.

This was every man’s worst nightmare yet every man was prepared to put his life on the line. Such amazing valour.

In the museum at Thiepval my wife found correspondence relating to Private Sydney Smith of 17 Railway Place who was a private in the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry who was killed in action on 21/7/1916. A letter home begs his parents not to worry about him,

as so many men at the front also did. But any parents would worry about their son(s) going off to war and would wait anxiously for news.

Often this came, when least expected, when there was a knock on the door. Thus the family received the dreaded telegram to say that Sydney had died. However, afterwards, it must have been of some small solace to receive a letter of condolence from his platoon sergeant as Sydney’s parents did. Sgt C Fowler wrote saying ‘Please accept the sincere sympathies of No 14 Platoon in the great loss of your son. I am sure he was looked upon with very great respect by everyone in the platoon - always ready and willing to do anything that was to be done, and always doing it in a cheerful manner.

It may be some consolation to you to know that he did not suffer any pain, and also to know that he died doing his duty like an Englishman should. We all very sorry to lose such a good soldier and comrade.’ He had been a keen sportsman playing cricket for Wycombe Alexandra and Marsh Green Cricket Clubs and football for Wycombe Gordon and Wycombe Trinity.

Sydney Smith was one of 558 men from the Wycombe area who gave their lives in that muddy, bloody slaughter of the First World War - on average more than ONE man killed every THREE days.

All their names can be found on the commemorative plaque by the main entrance to Wycombe General Hospital. In the Guildhall, there is a stained glass window showing a young maiden holding a laurel wreath over a soldier’s head with the words ‘Welcome home, well done. In grateful remembrance of the patriotic services of the five thousand men of Wycombe who fought in the Great War 1914-18 and were spared to return.’ 5,000 may have returned but probably 1,000 of these had been wounded, some terribly.

So in total more than 5,500 men from the Wycombe area went to fight in WW1. So, like in so many other towns and villages throughout the country, that war would leave an indelible mark on Wycombe life for decades to come.

Every cemetery we visited during our pilgrimage along the Western Front, was in immaculate condition with flowers/bushes by every grave. So great credit must go to the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC), based in Maidenhead, for the work and passion of their staff in keeping these memorials in such spruce condition. (In total CWGC looks after 23,000 memorials and cemeteries in 150 countries.)

And the memory of the fallen will continue to live on. We came across a wreath left by a family on a grave where the card read ‘Remembered Always - from your grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. Rest in peace.’

Cycling across the Western Front was an absorbing and poignant experience, one we shall never forget. And the fact that bikes were actually used in the conflict perhaps gave us a closer and more personal perspective of what it was like to fight in the war to end all wars.